Things like your choice of fights, venue, and production budget. It can take very little to change a proposed MMA show. Just like the fights, the margin for error is slim – especially when you’re in a foreign territory.

“Anytime you go somewhere for the first time, you’re always going to encounter resistance,” said Cox. “You have hometown promoters that don’t want you there; you don’t really know who the local fighters are that draw; you don’t know where to go to get the best sponsors. And you’re not always treated fairly because you’re the out of town guy.”